Govt slammed for not following SC guidelines on school transport

No lessons learnt from 1997 accident, says Vijender Gupta

An overcrowded van ferrying schoolchildren in New Delhi.

Accusing the Delhi government of being “not serious” about the safety of schoolchildren, the Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta on Monday alleged that no lessons were learnt from the fatal 1997 accident, in which a school bus ferrying over 120 schoolchildren fell into the Yamuna from Wazirabad Bridge.

Such accidents, Mr. Gupta alleged, have been taking place because school transport vehicles “blatantly violate” guidelines issued by the Supreme Court in 1998.

“The school bus, which fell into the Yamuna in 1997, was carrying more than 120 schoolchildren against the marked capacity of 50 to 70. Of 120, 28 had died and 70 were seriously injured. But no lessons were learnt from such accidents,” he alleged.

“Even today, school vehicles carry children more than double their capacity. In the accident involving a school van and a milk tanker last week in Kanhaiya Nagar, the school van was carrying children more than twice its capacity. One girl died and 17 others were injured in the accident. The children were packed in the van like luggage,” he said.

First aid box

Main reason behind such accidents involving schoolchildren, he said, was the utter violation of Supreme Court guidelines.

It stated that all school buses must have first aid boxes, water tanks and fire extinguishers, parallel bars fitted in windows and school bag grills fitted under the seats, among other guidelines.

“It is the obligation of the government, school managements and parents to strictly follow the Supreme Court guidelines to ensure the safety of schoolchildren. A separate cell should be created in the Education Department to control and regulate transport involving schoolchildren, as more than 20 lakh children travel daily in Delhi,” Mr. Gupta argued.